Payumo drops Congress plan, stays on at SBMA

SUBIC BAY FREEPORT — Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) chairman Felicito Payumo announced that he has dropped his plan to run for a seat in the House of Representatives and is staying on as SBMA chairman.

A standing ovation and loud cheers and applause from employees of the SBMA and Freeport Service Corp., 80 percent of whom were hired during the SBMA stint of Richard Gordon, welcomed Payumo’s announcement.

At the same time, Payumo placed on top of his priorities the welfare of freeport employees as he called on them to cooperate and give their 100-percent support to the administration of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and prove that Subic "will spearhead the President’s program to uplift the economy of Central Luzon."

"The (idea of running for Congress) entered my mind. Pero dahilan sa nangyayari ngayon, kasama na ang pananakot na ginagawa sa mga employees na nakikipagtulungan sa SBMA, ay aking ipinahahayag na (But because of what’s happening now, including the threats being received by employees who are helping out the SBMA, I’m announcing that) I’ve decided not to file my candidacy as congressman for the first district of Bataan," Payumo said.

"Sama-sama tayo dito (We are all in this together)," he rallied a general assembly of 2,000 SBMA and FSC employees at the George Devey Convention Center.

Payumo said employees of the SBMA and FSC will continue to enjoy all benefits which management has already provided them.

He revealed that the FSC board of directors is working on a 10-percent salary increase for FSC workers.

He ordered the SBMA’s department managers to open up channels of communication with the rank-and-file to thresh out grievances.

Speaking mostly in Pilipino, the SBMA chairman lamented that in the past few days, since the People Power at EDSA, his political opponents in Olongapo City have stepped up actions calling for his resignation.

"Nitong mga nakaraang araw ay may nangyayari sa labas at maging sa loob ng freeport na hindi maganda, at ang timing ay kapuna-puna (In the past few days, something is happening outside and even inside the freeport, and the timing is obvious)," Payumo said.